Take Them Off
by Auttzthoughtz
Summary: Steve has a drawing class and asks Tony to be his model. More comes out of this for both of them then they could have imagined from the beginning, even though they were oblivious the undertones should have always been obvious.


"I don't like those clothes. Take them off," Steve says as he sets up his sketching pencils next to his sketchbook.

"I will have you know this shirt alone is worth more than a week of your pay and –" Tony stopped and looked up at Steve with wide eyes. "Wait what?"

"The clothes you are wearing don't offer enough depth, in lines and color, they are too rigid and I just want a subject with more detail than that to work with," Steve takes a deep breath. "If that's okay."

Tony narrows his eyes at Steve. "My body has more detail than my clothes?" Tony says as he starts to unbutton his jacket and kick off his pants."

"The body has a lot of crevices and shadows that I can work with and," Steve shrugs. "Plus, at your age…"

"If you finish that sentence Steve," Tony replies in a warning tone that almost resembles a hiss as he tosses aside the last of his clothes. "How do I do this?"

"Haven't you modeled for enough press shoots to know?" Steve asks as he gets up and starts moving things around. "Just sprawl out on this couch for the first one, alright?"

Tony sprawls out on the couch ridiculously and grins wide at Steve. "Alright, paint me like one of your French girls."

"I'm going to sketch, not paint," Steve says as he goes back to his seat. "Just stay still."

"Not even a chuckle?" Tony whispers before freezing in place as best possible as he sees Steve putting a pencil to paper. Steve has to tell Tony several times to stop fidgeting. It's an hour later before Steve calls for a break.

"Tony, go ahead and stretch and walk around," Steve says as he works on smudging some of the shading he's been doing as best possible.

Tony walks over to Steve and peeks over his shoulder. "You have that much done already?"

Steve looks up and smiles. "Well, I've always been pretty quick to get at least the basic details. The rest of it should take another hour or so. Thanks for…I mean, thanks for letting me talk you into this."

"We all need hobbies and if art class is keeping you sane, I'm happy to help that along. Anything to make our fearless leader less of a cranky-pants," Tony says as he hops back on the couch. "Oh, and by the way, just because I don't have the body of a twenty-something doesn't mean you get to mock my appearance by age. If you looked your age, you know you'd have much more to work with than me."

Steve rolls his eyes. "Lines aren't a bad thing, if you had let me finish earlier I would have said that your age just gives more artistically to work with. The lines aren't smooth and steady with barely anything in between, they are aged like a fine wine."

"Wine – you got me at wine. I'm like a fine wine, that I can deal with. You ready to get this show back on the road?" Tony says, getting back into position.

"For the record, I did get your reference. Although I'd hardly call you Rose," Steve says as he starts up with his pencils again.

"Scuse me, but I am a gorgeous flower," Tony wilts back against the seat and Steve just laughs softly as he continues.

After another two hours, Steve stops scratching his pencil against the page. "All finished."

"Ugh, finally," Tony says as he gets up and starts searching around for his clothes. "It's cold in here."

"I'll keep that in mind for next time, I can bring a blanket for you or something," Steve says with a half-smile as he is only partially focused on Tony while he is busy blending the last few finishing touches to his sketch.

Tony gets dressed before he plops down beside Steve. "You're too good for a novice class," Tony ponders as Steve puts his drawing down on the table in front of them.

"It would draw too much attention to do an advanced class," Steve says with a soft smile. "Unlike some of us, I like having at least half of my identity with some semblance of quiet from the press."

"I've been better lately," Tony remarks carefully as he stands again. "Same time next week then?"

"Yeah, if that's still good," Steve acknowledges as Tony walks away.

It's not a minute later that Steve's undivided attention to his drawing is again interrupted. "So you drew Stark nude?"

"Natasha," Steve warns.

"No, it's nothing, you're fine I just, think it's funny. I'd love to see you explain to your class why you had the subject strip when it wasn't at all necessary," Natasha grins. "It's fine, Stark's not exactly shy about being naked and all, it's just – well, Steve, you're going to have to tell him eventually."

"Tell him what?" Steve shuts his book and starts gathering his things into his art bag.

Natasha sighs. "If you don't know, I can't help you sweetie."

"Naked figures have more interesting things to work with," Steve defends.

Natasha chuckles softly. "Keep telling yourself that, gorgeous. It'll be a slow burn."

After this, Steve finds that she is right. The class he's in has a remarkable amount of questions about the choice of an unclothed subject. His teacher even approaches him about it but Steve shakes it off, it's just a better way to capture Tony on the page is what he tells the teacher and convinces himself of.

The next session with Tony gets a little weird even for their standards. "A platform? Steve, really?"

"The light source on the elevated platform is what's important," Steve sighs as he steps onto the platform behind Tony, his hands finding Tony's hips and angling them the opposite direction.

"Should we have, like, a no-touching-while-Tony-is-naked-and-freezing rule?" Tony asks as Steve's hands keep venturing to reposition him.

Steve's hands freeze on Tony's torso. "You don't listen well to direction and…but if that's…sorry I didn't even think…"

"I'm not going to send you to HR will you relax, geez, I'm just saying maybe a hint of a warning at least before you start grabbing my naked parts and moving everything around," Tony laughs as Steve goes red. "You know what I mean."

Steve steps off the platform and doesn't say another word as he begins to sketch. Unlike most of their interactions where he can't get Tony to stop talking, they spend three hours in silence. When they are done, Tony sits beside Steve and grins. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" Steve asks softly as he touches up a few last lines on the page.

"Make me look like a freaking Adonis," Tony whispers as he pushes Steve's hand out of the way to feel the dips of the harsh lines on the page.

Steve sighs. "I only draw what I see."

They sit in silence for a few moments while Tony tries to process that but before he can say another word, Steve is shoving his stuff in his bag and saying goodbyes under his breath. Natasha walks by Steve and the only words Steve can muster are a soft "shut up" as his brisk walk turns into a run.

"Did you…" Tony looks at Natasha for confirmation, because at this point it's more than obvious that she has been playing super spy again.

"Yes, I heard that. Yes, that does implicate he sees you like that. It's not my place to say anymore than that," Natasha says as she walks up. "Although, personally, I would mark you as an ass not an Adonis."

"Fuck off," Tony replies before he rushes off, fully knowing that she could kick his ass if she wanted to.

The next week Tony isn't on time. He's an hour late and looks like hell. "Steve, I'm sorry, a business meeting ran late and then Bruce had an incident and just…yeah, I'm not going to come off looking like an Adonis today, huh?"

"Wouldn't be so sure of that," Steve mutters as he grabs a blanket from the closet. "Clothes away, just take a rest. I mean, if this wouldn't be too weird."

"I honestly don't care, you figure sleeping will keep me still and make me an easier subject. Which is right because otherwise today, honestly, I would be super irritable," Tony says as he curls into the blanket on the couch and quickly starts to drift off.

Steve puts on music today and starts drawing, getting caught in the lines of Tony's body melting into the curves of the blanket and feels more comfortable knowing that at least today, this is about the art not about the subject.

When Steve finishes his drawing he packs his things away before going over to wake up Tony, which seems to be an idea that is impossible. Steve mounts his bag on his back before he wraps Tony up in his blanket and carries him out of the studio room and out to the elevator.

Thor walks up with a welcoming grin. "It seems Man of Iron has exhausted his efforts today, only a great comrade such as you would carry him in."

"Well, it's the least I can do," Steve replies, readjusting Tony in his arms as the elevator arrives to get them safely to Tony's room and get the tired genius off to his own bed.

The next morning Steve is in the kitchen when Tony comes down and he offers a coffee which Tony grabs hesitantly. "Did you carry me to my room last night?"

"You wouldn't budge and I know your back would have been bad if I'd left you on that old couch," Steve smiles shyly as he turns back to making breakfast.

"Uh, well, I guess I should say thanks," Tony says before sipping his coffee.

Steve shrugs. "It was the least I could do."

"How'd yesterday's picture turn out?" Tony asks as he notices Steve's bag on the table and pulls it over.

Steve puts his hand on the bag and drags it away before Tony can look inside. "Don't snoop, I'll show you later," Steve promises as he puts down some food. "You better eat today. You're looking a little worse for wear."

"Yeah, yeah," Tony mutters as Steve walks away with just a coffee and his book bag.

The next week, Tony has questions. "Could I not just find interesting clothes?"

Steve shrugs. "I just wanted to keep with a consistent subject."

"How come I'm the only one who has to be naked? Why can't you make all of us pose for you?" Tony asks as he stands again on the platform.

"Bruce has stage fright, Natasha would rip the page apart after, and the rest of them are on mission or on base and busy," Steve says softly as he stands up and moves towards Tony. "Do you mind if I reposition you?"

"Carefully," Tony cautions as Steve's hands move to his sides again.

"You can face the front this time, if that's okay with you," Steve says as he turns Tony to face him.

Tony hisses. "Be careful," as Steve slides his hands around, searching for the minute detail changes he wants in Tony's stance.

"Careful of what?" Steve asks as he finally lets Tony go and walks back behind his drawing table/desk.

"Nevermind just get on with it," Tony replies as he does his best to keep frozen in place.

An hour later, Tony breaks the silence. "Will you stop looking at me like that?"

Steve blinks a few times before Tony's words register. "Like what?"

"Like…like I'm an Adonis you need to study every inch of?" Tony breaks position and crosses his arms, waiting for Steve to understand.

"Someone's a little overconfident today," Steve half-smiles nervously. "Honestly, I have to study each line to be able to do a proper record."

Tony sighs. "Do you need to get me back into position? I might just be a little off today, sorry I interrupted."

"I've already gotten your top half anyways, just keep your hips and legs steady, please," Steve asks softly as he continues with a little harder of a grip on his pencil as he pushes it across the page.

Twenty minutes later Tony has more to say. "Okay that's freaking me out."

"I have to get every detail unless you want me to draw you like a doll, I have to look when you are front-facing," Steve says as he continues highlighting around what Tony's being neurotic about being drawn.

"How would you feel if I stared at your hips for a half an hour?" Tony replies in a bit of a higher pitch. "You're making me self-conscious."

"I just am finding a significant amount of detail and I want the picture to be accurate," Steve replies as he continues forward.

Another hour passes before Steve is finished the drawing. "I'm going to stick around for a bit, you can go though."

"We have a meeting soon," Tony says as he goes for his clothes before noticing that Steve's hand unoccupied by his pencil is clutching around the desk until the knuckles are practically whiting. "Steve, everything okay over there?"

"I just…it is a bit cold and um…could you just go?" Steve wipes his hands with a moist cloth before he looks up and sees Tony standing right over him.

"If there's something you need to tell me, Steve," Tony says as he moves his hand up Steve's arm and notices a quiver as his hand finds Steve's neck. "Are you attracted to me?"

"I, um, don't know what," Steve's words are cut off when Tony drags the table out from between them and Tony just grins.

Tony looks Steve up and down and sighs. "I guess that's a yes. You know, this makes a lot of sense but it's also super weird and you couldn't have just asked me out like a normal person you had to touch me naked and move me around and draw me first and just drive me freaking crazy not knowing what the heck is going –"

Steve cuts him off. "What do you want me to say?"

"I don't want you say anything," Tony muses as he looks Steve up and down. "You know, I was just thinking – I don't think I like your clothes either. Take them off."

Steve grabs Tony's hips and pulls him down all at once, collapsing their lips together as they move against each other. Just minutes later, Steve pulls away and shakes his head. "I, um, we have a meeting in ten minutes."

"Ugh," Tony shakes his head at Steve. "I don't want that. I want to stay."

"I need time to process," Steve doesn't finish his statement but Tony nods in understanding and stands up.

"Doesn't seem fair you get to look at me nude every couple days and I can't see nada, but hey, y'know, I'm not an asshole about this kind of stuff," Tony stands up and takes a few deep breaths. "I'm going to run off to grab a quick shower, text them and let them know I'll be late if you will be too."

Tony wanders off without another word and Steve is just left dumb-stricken. They eventually make it to the meeting and are quiet, especially regarding each other. When the meeting is over they both scurry out fast. They pass in the halls of the tower many times and say nothing but pleasantries, unwilling to push one another to make the first move further. When it gets to time for the next week's painting session, Steve doesn't say a word. He shyly smiles and gestures towards the platform for Tony.

Tony can't bring himself to move towards Steve so he moves towards the platform and sits with his legs wide open, leaning back. "Or did you have something else in mind for today?"

"Tony," Steve takes a deep breath. He bites his lip and takes heavier and heavier breaths. "You are not going to make this easy on me, are you?"

"Nope," Tony says with a shit-eating grin. "Absolutely not. You're going to have to suck it up and look at me in all my glory."

Steve laughs softly and carefully. "Stay still." It's an hour later before Steve has the basic details on paper and gives Tony a break. "Let me know if you need more breaks."

"Eh, that position is just not as fun alone," Tony says with a wink before he gets up to get a glass of water.

Steve sighs. "I might need more breaks, to be honest."

"Or you could just," Tony doesn't finish his words but waggles his eyebrows that only serves to make Steve laugh. "Come on, I'm trying here."

"Well if you are going to be unfair," Steve says, getting up and taking off his shirt. He strips his pants off as well and leaves only his boxers. He sits back down and gestures for Tony to get back into pose.

Tony licks his lips as he gets back into position. "Yeah, that's a tad more unfair. Also it's unfair because I have to strip all the way down."

"Baby steps," Steve mutters as he gets back to his drawing, cursing himself internally as he realizes Tony's heard it.

"Fair enough," Tony says with a sweet smile. "Can I tell you how good you look or is that a step too far?" Steve looks up to Tony with wide eyes. "Too far, really? Another day then, because just," Tony makes a gesture with his hands outlining the beauty that is Steve before he snaps into position. "Just finish the drawing. I need to go soon."

"Shower?" Steve says with a small, mischievous grin.

Tony groans. "Could you not remind me right now I'm trying to keep steady." Steve nods. He smiles and continues his painting.

Once he's done, Steve starts putting his supplies away. When he looks back up, Tony's standing right in front of him. "I, um, shit I'm never nervous, Steve. Not like this. I just…nothing farther, I won't push, I just wanted to know if I could kiss you again?"

Steve reaches forward and grasps Tony's hips with a feather-light touch meant only to guide forward. Tony leans down and captures Steve's lips softly. He moves with Steve and keeps patient, not pushing for more. Waiting for Steve's cue.

Steve pulls away with a huge smile. "That should've been our first kiss."

"Yeah, but collapsing into your lap was fun too, not gonna lie," Tony says with a cocky grin. "It's alright, it'll happen again."

"How are you so sure?" Steve asks.

Tony laughs. "Honey, by the time its going to happen again, you'll be about ready to beg for it."

"More torture planned?" Steve asks with a shy smile.

Tony nods. "Now that I know that was already torture for you, wait till I up the ante. You're gonna be begging for me, hun."

With that Tony's gone to plan more shenanigans and Steve's wondering what else Tony could possibly have up his sleeve. The next week Tony comes barging in quite loudly. "I want to take yours off today."

"Wh-what?" Steve looks up with worried eyes.

"I won't touch you unless you ask, but you got to undress me before and watch me undress for you several times, my turn," Tony says as he grabs Steve's hands and pulls him to be standing up and so he's standing inches away from Tony and in front of the table instead of hidden behind it. "God help you, sweetie, you're already excited to see me." Steve groans as Tony's deft hands move to the fly of his jeans and start unzipping, pushing his jeans to the floor quickly.

"Step out," Tony instructs before he reaches to pull off the shirt in one foul swoop. "And now, if it's okay nod," Tony latches his fingers around the elastic bands of his boxers on either side and looks directly into Steve's eyes. Steve nods a little over-enthusiastically and Tony pushes them down, letting his body fall as they fall, pulling them off of each of Steve's feet before he's eye-level with Steve's member.

Tony notices that Steve starts trembling and reaches out to caress the sides of his legs. "Relax sweetie, I won't touch you like that unless you ask," Tony says reassuringly before he stands up, eye-level with eyes this time. "Do you want to strip me too?"

Steve just nods and reaches forward to start on Tony's buttons. Tony laughs softly at the enthusiasm that Steve shows towards the task and feels the gentle grazes that Steve leaves on his skin upon dismissing every piece of fabric from his body. Once Steve shucks off the button shirt slowly and determinedly, he pulls off the tank-top underneath in one swift motion. He pulls Tony forward a bit trying to undo his belt. Tony rests his head on Steve's shoulder as Steve undoes his jeans and pushes them down, asking softly for Tony to kick them and his boxers aside.

Steve clears his throat. "What position would you like to do today?"

Tony just smiles and moves over to the couch, spreading his legs so that one stretches over the back of the couch and the other plants on the floor, giving Steve quite the view. Steve takes a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself before he starts. It's a half an hour in before either of them speak.

"I need a break," Steve says before he drops his pencils on the floor instead of as intended on the table.

Tony smiles brightly, knowing his plan is working. "What is it, hun? It's only been thirty minutes."

"I need," Steve can't find the words to explain what he needs.

Tony takes his legs back to a comfy laying position on the couch and closes his eyes, grinning. "I can't help you unless you tell me," Tony opens his eyes and Steve is hovering above him.

"I need to kiss you again. Is that okay?" Steve asks in a soft, nervous voice.

Tony reaches to grab Steve's hips. "If it's too much, say 'red' and we'll break apart," Tony watches in amazement as Steve moves to straddle his hips. "Yellow, say 'yellow' if you need to slow down, okay?"

Steve nods before he leans down to capture Tony's lips with his, grinding his hips forward like his life depended on it against the man beneath him. Tony reaches around and cups around Steve's rear-cheeks, pulling him closer with every grind. The kissing is all teeth and tongue, a total mess but neither of them much seem to care. Tony reaches beneath them and grabs both of their members in his hand and starts pumping them together, eliciting a sharp moan from Steve's lips that just gets swallowed into Tony's throat. Between the friction and the pumping and the kissing, Steve doesn't last as long as he would have liked to and Tony follows quickly after.

It's a few minutes before Steve pipes up. "Can I finish my drawing of you?"

Tony looks at Steve, biting back laughter. "Excuse me?"

"It's still due this week and, um, you don't look bad," Steve says as he carefully gets up and starts walking back to his desk.

"I'm a mess, covered in," Tony stops and smirks. "We need to get you into an art class where you paint fruit. You have to tell me how people react to this one."

Steve looks Tony up and down and evaluates how much of a mess they've made as Tony gets back into position. It only takes an hour or so for Steve to finish the sketch and let Tony go lax. "We took some good steps today."

Tony shrugs. "Just you wait, hun, just you wait."

Tony runs off down the hall and it takes about five minutes to realize that Tony's running around naked and a complete mess and he sincerely hopes that Tony's taken himself to the next-door gym showers instead of roaming around covered in his mess. He runs up to the showers and sees Tony in there. Tony looks over his shower stall and grins. "Awe, did you miss me already?"

"I was making sure you weren't flailing around naked in front of everyone," Steve says softly, taking in Tony's soaking form as he comes closer. Steve gulps. "Um, so I'll just-"

"You bounce back quick, muffin," Tony notes as he looks Steve up and down. Steve steps back a step. Tony sighs. "So why were you so worried? I've caused public indecency problems in the tower before and it's never been a problem."

"That was before," Steve stops himself from finishing his thought.

"Before you were ashamed of the mess you made? Or before you decided you wanted me all for yourself?" Tony asks shamelessly as he reaches out his hand. "I bet it's both, pumpkin, huh? Here's an easier question. Care to join me in here?"

Steve slowly takes Tony's hand and steps into the shower stall with him. Steve just looks at him with lost puppy eyes. "What do you want, Cap?"

"Help," Steve says in such an innocent voice that he second-guesses if this was the same man he got off with on the couch not two hours earlier. Tony smiles as he reaches forward and hovers his hand inches in front of Steve's member and looks up for approval. Steve shakes his head. Tony waits for Steve to explain. "That's not how I want…um, well," Steve can't seem to ask and he looks at Steve with a nervous smile.

Tony takes a minute to process. "You mean like earlier," Tony kneels down in front of Steve and looks up with a smirk. "When I was at this level and you started shaking – is it because this is too much or this is what you want?"

"I want you to stay like that and," Steve's words are cut off by a sharp moan as Tony swirls his tongue around the end of Steve's member.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I got a bit eager. That's what you meant, right?" Tony asks with a huge grin. Steve reaches his hand down to tangle in Tony's hair and push him forward again which is more than enough of a yes for Tony as he continues forward with his ministrations. He works Steve with perfectly choreographed humming, sucking, and licking patterns that send Steve flying off the edge.

Once he's done, Tony climbs back up his body with kisses until he pecks Steve on the lips. "We're making big strides today."

Steve just smiles shyly. "Next step is a big one," Steve says with a soft laugh. "I'll be taking care of you."

Tony's eyes go wide. "Really?"

Steve winks before he exits the stall, grabs a towel and runs out and down the hall. Tony takes a minute before he dries off too, thinking about what Steve's said a lot. Over the next week he thinks about it perhaps too much before they meet again.

"No discussion?" Tony asks as he starts to undress quickly, before seating himself cross-legged on the platform.

"That'll give me interesting lines," Steve mutters before he even registers Tony's words. "We can talk about whatever you want to talk about, Tony."

"You said you'd take care of me. As if implying that you are topping when we…move forward with the next level. Why would you assume?" Tony asks, careful not to move more than his lips while Steve is working away with his pencils.

Steve shrugs. "I kind of thought that's what you preferred. I thought, also, that might be easiest for me to start with. We can talk about it more if you want."

Tony takes a while to think about that. "You just haven't been confident about that stuff. Otherwise, I guess you are, but with our encounters you've been nervous."

"Due to inexperience and nerves," Steve says with a soft smile. "I think I'll be just fine once I get into the rhythm of it. I haven't done bad so far, have I?" Tony rolls his eyes and Steve continues. "I guess my question is if that's what you want?"

"Typically, in other situations, because of my status of fame and fortune and crap past partners have just kind of assumed that I would take the lead, so I don't have much experience the other way around," Tony says carefully. "I wouldn't be opposed to trying it that way it just surprised me more than anything because that's not what I'm used to people saying."

"You've been ignoring me deliberately all week, it's got to be more than that," Steve says as he finishes Tony's outline. "Try to stay still," Steve half-smiles.

Tony pulls a lot of attention to his stature as he continues. "I said I don't have much experience but I do have some. It's just, no one's ever really said it like that."

Steve thought to his phrasing and his pencil froze in his hand. "Nobody said they'd take care of you before?"

"Not in that context, and uh, not really in any other context either I guess," Tony shifted uncomfortably. "Can we take a break?"

Steve nods and walks forward to sit beside Tony on the platform. "You know, other than that, no matter what happens I will take care of you. That's what I'm here for."

"I'm not sure how I should take that," Tony says honestly as he breaks position and leans on Steve's side. "Thanks though."

Steve reaches his arm around Tony and rubs his back in gentle circles. "Everyone needs to be taken care of," Steve kisses Tony on top of the head. "I can probably finish the rest from memory and improvisation if you don't want to get back into pose today."

"Nah," Tony says, sitting back up and cleaning up his stance. "I can do this."

Steve lets Tony go and walks back over to his desk. "If you're sure." Tony just nods and Steve continues along. It takes a bit longer today for the work to get done. When it is, Steve walks out from behind his desk and helps Tony up. He grabs Tony's clothes off of the floor and helps him get dressed. Tony smiles genuinely and moves as Steve moves him until he's done. When he's dressed, Steve just pulls him close and hugs him tight.

It's a few minutes in that embrace before either of them say a word. "Am I squishing you too much?"

"No, I'd be happy to stay like this all day," Tony mutters back, his head laying sideways against Steve's chest.

"Then why don't we," Steve doesn't finish his statement but parts from Tony, grabbing his hand and guiding him down the hall. They don't stop until they've taken the stairs down to Steve's floor and walk to his bedroom. Steve pauses in front of the door. "We don't have to do anything. I just want to spend the day with you."

"Are you on call?" Tony asks. Steve shakes his head and Tony smiles. "Then lead the way, cupcake."

This week runs a little smoother than weeks past. Tony camps out as much as he can on Steve's floor and watches him work on other sketches and just cuddles, watching TV. One day that week they are watching a movie and this beautiful brunette woman is being guided around the floor by this strapping blond man and Tony can tell something's bothering Steve.

"I have to go somewhere," Steve says softly and Tony nods, pretty sure where they have to go. Tony offers to drive and an hour or so later, they are at the nursing home that Peggy is at. When Steve sees Peggy's room empty, he goes up to the counter. "Peggy, Peggy Carter."

"I'm sorry Mr. Rogers, we thought we had called," the nurse says gently. "Peggy passed away in her sleep last night."

Steve can't think of anything to say to her. He takes the details for her service that her family will hold for her the following week and leaves. It isn't until he gets outside that he breaks down crying. Tony just watches Steve break and greets him with nothing more and nothing less than open arms.

Tony notifies the team so that Steve is given time to grieve. Most of the team leave him cards and messages expressing how sorry they are for the loss. Natasha's is remembered as particularly nice, noting "she paved the way for greatness and opportunity and without her, we wouldn't be us."

Steve doesn't quite know how to handle it. Bucky comes back from mission a couple days after hearing the news and Steve asks for him to stay for the funeral service. Bucky agrees to do so and sits on the chair opposite the couch that Steve's been planted on for days wrapped around Tony's side.

On the day of the funeral, Steve comes in uniform which is a shock to many attending. Tony trails behind him as he walks to the closed casket and places a tape on top of it. "For the dance we should have had." Steve walks back out of the service after that and doesn't have the strength to bring himself back in after he's gotten out of his uniform and dressed in a proper suit. "Tony, I don't think I can do this."

"Whatever you do or don't do is up to you, pumpkin, but this is going to be your last chance to say goodbye. And you gave her a good goodbye already so if you want to just wait and come back and visit and not hear all of her kids and grandkids talk about this life that she had while you were a Capsicle, not one human in that room will blame you for needing to leave," Tony says with a half-smile. "So what do you say, cupcake?"

"Let's go home," Steve replies with a pained smile. They walk out to the car and minutes into the drive, Steve chirps up again. "I said I'd take care of you and you ended up taking care of me."

"Taking care of a person is, or at least should be, something that is a two-way street. Especially us. Shush, and don't you worry about me right now. We'll go home, pull out the ice cream, and have us another Netflix night," Tony says with a soft smile.

It's a month before Steve really is feeling himself again. Tony comes in that morning with his art bag. Steve looks up at him with an eyebrow cocked up. "Your instructor said your last class is coming up and since it's ungraded, she would still love to see your last work if you are up for it."

Steve grins softly and nods. He follows Tony to the studio and laughs softly as he sees that Tony got it set up today. There's music in the background and a soft, red-velvet blanket over the platform. "Are you trying to get me to draw or seduce me?"

"I'm particularly good at multi-tasking," Tony says with a waggle of the eyebrows before he strips down slowly, to the beat of the music. Steve just finds himself laughing and Tony grins. "That, however, was the main goal."

"What's that?" Steve asks.

Tony walks up and puts his hands on either side of Steve's face. "For you to smile and laugh, that's all I wanted from today. You do know you have a gorgeous smile, right? And a particularly cheerful laugh."

Steve smiles wider. "Come closer."

Tony climbs into Steve's lap, only having forgotten to strip his boxers as he looks up as Steve. "That close enough?"

"Would it be bad if I said no?" Steve asks carefully.

Tony shakes his head and lets Steve pull his head down to collapse their lips together. Tony quickly works away Steve's clothes and the last remaining piece of his own as they struggle to keep closer and closer together. Tony reaches back into a drawer in the desk behind him and pulls out a small tube.

Steve laughs. "Do I want to know how long you've had that waiting in there?"

"Too long, shh," Tony says as he spreads the lube over Steve's fingers. "In, now."

Steve slips one finger into Tony's entrance, testing and swirling it around until he feels Tony thrust forward against him. Liking the initial reaction, he continues penetrating his finger in towards that spot to brush against it every time. By the time he's at three fingers continuing the same, Tony's rutting up against him on every stroke, leaking and hard as hell. "I need more," Tony barely gets out between labored breaths.

Steve slides his fingers out of Tony and puts his hands on Tony's thighs, carrying him over to the blanket on the platform, noting that Tony was even cocky enough to have brought pillows. "I told you I would take care of you. Let me take care of you first," Steve says with a bright smile before he places Tony down and pecks him on the lips. He reaches his fingers back down and starts fingering Tony's entrance again, brushing the prostate on almost every stroke, as he kisses down Tony's body. He leaves marks in a few places as he moves before he wraps his lips around Tony's member. Tony has to have his hips held down to keep steady as the ministrations continue and Tony tangles his fingers in Steve's hair just as he's about to finish and blows his load past Steve's lips.

Steve swallows what Tony has to offer before he pulls away his fingers and lips. He then starts kissing his way back up, not until he reaches Tony's lips but until he's kissing, licking, and sucking around Tony's neck. Until he's closer to Tony's ear and whispers. "Do you think you'd be ready for more?"

Tony nods, thinking that Steve must be really aching by now. Steve just mutters softly 'turn over' and Tony complies. Steve starts kissing his way down Tony's back and he still thinks Steve is just being patient for him, which is nice. Then, however, he licks the outer ring of Tony's entrance and Tony reaches for the edges of the blanket, gripping tight. Steve just looks up innocently from between Tony's legs. "Is that okay?"

Tony looks back in disbelief. "That's fucking…of course it's fucking okay."

Steve laughs softly before diving back down and licking until he feels the entrance open up for him and starts diving inside and exploring with his tongue. Steve reaches forward to hold Tony's hips steady as he ravishes him. Tony doesn't stop swearing when Steve adds fingers to the mix.

"Honey, ah fucking hell, fuck, are you ever going to fuck me," Tony barely manages to get out.

Steve pulls away his mouth and adds more fingers, brushing his prostate with every stroke this time. "I thought I would take care of you. You took care of me and now I'm thoroughly enjoying taking care of you."

"As much as I love to be selfish sometimes, I've been taken care of once already and you have to be needing some attention over there," Tony takes a moment and looks at Steve carefully as Steve removes his fingers from Tony. "Hun, lay down for me, pretty please?" Steve lays down on the blanket for him as Tony sits up and grins. "You need some attention too," Tony grabs Steve's member and starts stroking it, effectively lubricating it with pre-cum. "Plus, I don't know about you, but I've been really thinking and dreaming about this part."

"I thought you were nervous about this part," Steve says in short breaths as he watches Tony's hand leave his member and Tony straddle him, hovering just over his member.

"Nervous turned to excited turned to need," Tony sunk down on Steve's member until he reached the hilt and tilted his head back. "That's," Tony can't find words and just settles for reaching forward to brace his hands on Steve's shoulders as he began to ride him. They both make so much noise it makes Tony hope he remembered to soundproof this room. After a good amount of time of Tony riding him, Steve grabs Tony's hips and flips them over carefully.

"My turn," Steve says as he reaches up to kiss Tony's neck as he starts to thrust into him. Careful at first but more erratic as the thrusts continue, into the right position brushing the right spot each and every thrust. Tony thinks about the fact that he couldn't have imagined someone moving so quickly with so much precision before Steve. Regarding his enhancements, it shouldn't have come as a surprise but everything felt like so much more than talent, skill, or lust-craze. It felt euphoric. When they finished, one after the other yelling each other's names, they laid next to one another smiling like idiots. "We need to do that again."

"I've already went twice, I might need some time, hun," Tony says with a bright, joking grin.

"You know what I meant," Steve says laughing softly. "Thank you."

"I know I'm good but I've never been thanked for sex before, but I guess I'll roll with it. You're welcome?" Tony says hesitantly. Steve just laughs.

"I meant for everything. For being my model and getting naked when it wasn't necessary and for being there for me the last while and um," Steve smiles goofily. "Thanks."

"Wait, so that whole time I could have been clothed and you used fancy art phrases about line structure and such to lure me into getting naked for you every week?" Tony looks at Steve amusedly and Steve just slowly nods with a smile turning nervous. "Eh, it's okay, your teacher told me she was shocked and fascinated by all your work with nudes since the other students were doing clothed individuals and a spectrum of them. But she was fascinated by your process and dedication. Which I guess is pretty cool, considering. They're going to hang up that one of me looking like a fucked-out mess in a gallery."

Steve's eyes go wide. "I had completely forgotten I had handed that in."

"She liked the realism of it or something like that, but we have an official invitation to the gallery. Now, I don't mind going being that model if you don't mind being the guy who painted the model with cum all over his spread-out body," Tony smiles brightly. "It's tomorrow night. I figured maybe, if you're up for it, we could go for dinner or something before hand."

"Like a date?" Steve asks with a shy smile, forgetting everything about the potential embarrassment the art could bring with the prospects of a date on the horizon.

"Well, that's not to presumptuous of an idea considering I'm in a painting with your cum on me and we literally are sitting here post-coital, right?" Tony asks smugly.

Steve laughs softly. "Only if you'll go as my boyfriend and as my date."

"I think we can make that work," Tony says with a bright smile before he leans over to kiss Steve.

They kiss away at each other for about twenty minutes before Tony's phone rings. "Seriously, Iron Man?"

"Oh honey, you know that the Black Sabbath song makes me all tingly," Tony jokes as he runs to grab his phone from his pocket. "Y'ello?"

"YOU BETTER EXPLAIN THE PICTURE OF YOU HANGING UP IN A GALLERY NAKED COVERED IN – I SHOULDN'T NEED TO EXPLAIN STARK WHAT THE FLYING FUCK DID YOU DO THE PRESS IS HAVING A FIELD DAY AND-"

Tony rolls his eyes as he put the phone on speaker on the second word. "This is kind of a two-person answer. You know Steve, right?"

"What do you mean Steve? What does this have to do with Captain fucking Americ-" Fury pauses, now realizing the byline of the art. "MY OFFICE NOW. ROGERS, YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER. STARK I'D EXPECT THIS FROM BUT NOT YOU." The line goes quiet and it takes a minute for either of them to process it.

When they do, Steve's the first to start laughing. Tony quickly follows. "I thought you would be scared because we got in trouble."

"They can't fire Captain America, and Iron Man funds their projects and builds the training centers and Avengers towers. There's nothing to be worried about," Steve says with a confident smile as he retrieves their clothes and throws Tony's to him as he gets himself dressed.

Tony laughs. "Now there's a Captain I can work with."

"Shh, get dressed," Steve says with a wink before he finishes getting back into his own clothes.

Tony sighs. "If we had more time snookems, I would shred your clothes. Covering you up is a damn shame."

"Maybe tomorrow night," Steve promises with a grin before he pecks Tony on the lips and starts to head out the door.

"Alright, so time for take off. And tomorrow, operation take them off," Tony responds with a bright smile. Steve laughs so much that they are very inappropriately both smiling when they get to the conference room but, neither of them could care less.

FIN.

Author's Note: That was a lot longer of a story than originally conceived so I hope it was enjoyable. I'm personally in love with the ending so I mean, I don't plan to continue this specifically but if you like the idea area of this fic, let me know and I will do more artsy Steve. Also, just a kind of reminder, I typically take requests for the most part if someone has any requests for me to write anything specific prompt wise or anything. Alright, until next time, thank you so much for reading it and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks!

With Love,  
Auttzthoughtz


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